Post-pulling device



Aug. 26, 1930. s, YENCHA ET AL 1,774,308

POST PULLING DEVICE ,Filed Nov. 15, 1926 43 2 L13 P v r 8 4 H913. Z I INVENTORS Ill/01 A/berf 5. Yenc/m 8 d g/m A. For/H7 ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 26, 1930 en STATES Parent oiFFicE ALBERT S. YENGHA. AND JOHN A. FORISH, OF UNITY TOWNSHIP, WESTMORELAND I COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA- I POST-PULLING DEVICE Our invention relates to post-pulling devices and particularly to devices for pulling the posts known aspit posts in abandoned mines. I V

One object of our invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated character that shall facilitate its operation and pro tect the operator against danger from falling earth.

Another object of our invention is to provide a post-pulling devicethat shall impart continuous pulling movement to a pit post, that shall magnify the applied force and that shall increase the speed of pulling over aevices formerly used.

Another object of our invention is to provide a portable post-pulling device that shall be securely held in operative position.

A further object of our invention is to provide apost-pulling device that shall be simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and eilective in its operation. p

This application is a continuation, in part of our copending application, Serial No. 29,698, filed May 12th, 1925, for a postpulling device.

As shown in our copending application, a device for pulling'the so-called pit posts or posts for supporting the ceilings of mines disposed a safe distance from a post to be pulled, a portion for immediate attachment to the post and a flexible element or chain connected between the operating element and the portion attached to the post.

WVhile it has been the more usual practice may comprise an operating element, usuallymovement to the post whereby the latter may be salvaged or prevented from burial beneath the fall. I

Other devices have objectionable features,

such as inadequate anchoring means or the inability to sustain strong pulling forces and to remain 1n eilective operative position.

Accordlngly, n practlcing our invention,

7 we provide a post-pulling device which tends to be more securely held in position in accordance with the pulling force, that is pre vented from displacing movements, that gives to an operator a safer working position and one in which he is better able to utilize his energy, that permits, a quick movement of the post, after it" has been released, and that is in other ways an improvement over devices heretofore employed.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings is a topplan view of a post-pulling'device or element constructed in accordancewith our invention, with a portion ofa handle or operatingmember cut away for clearness. Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1, with the above mentioned handle in position, but with certain legs or braces, shown atthe lowereorners of Fig. 1, omitted,

Figure 3 is a detail view of a modified portlon oi? the structure shown inthe other figures, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view taken alongv the line IVIV of Fig. 2.

The device comprises, in general, a supporting structure 1, a winding drum or cylinder-2, a reduction-gear mechanism 3, a pawl-and-ratchetdevice l, operating means 6, seating means 7 for receiving and positioning a hitch post 8, and meanst) forpreventing displacement of the device" from operative position. l i 1 The supporting structure 1 comprises upper and lower plates or members 10 and 11 that are connected by legs or braces 12 to form a rigid structure.

l The drum 2, which is rotatably supported between the plates '10 and 11, is provided with a reduced portion 14: in the plate 11 and may be provided with renewable bearings (not shown) of a usual type at each end.

Suitable means, such as an eyelet 15, 1s provided on the drum 2 for attaching one end of a pull chain 16 thereto. The chaln 16, which is shown in its unwound position, extends a considerable distance to a pit post to be pulled and is adapted to cooperate with a device, shown in our copending application, for turning and loosening the pit post prior to exerting a direct pull to fell the mechanism l comprises a relatively large gear wheel 22 that is fixed to the drum 2 adjacent to the under side of the upper plate 10, as by a key 23, for engagement with a similarly d sposed smaller gear wheel or pinion 2% that is similarly fixed to a shaft 25 constituting an element or portion of the operating means 6.

The shaft 25 is provided, at its lower end,

with a reduced portion 26 and renewable bearings (not shown) in the plates 10 and 11. A handle or wheel member 28 is fixed to the upper end of the shaft 25. I

The pawl-and-ratchet device l comprlses a ratchet wheel 27 that is keyed to the shaft 25, above the plate 10, for cooperation with a pawl29. The latter is pivotally mounted on a pin or shaft 30 in the plate 10, and has an arm or releasing handle portion 31 that is connected by a spring 32, to a stationary pin 38 in the plate 10. The spring biases the pawl 29 clockwise about the P111 30 to hold a portion 3% of the pawl against the ratchet wheel 27 and to thereby prevent counter clockwise rotation of the ratchet wheel, except when the pawl is released therefrom by turning the pawl against the action of the spring 32.

The seating means 7 comprises a block or member 86, secured in position on the upper side of the plate 10, that is of substantially discoidal shape and has a forward projecting portion 37 and a sloping upper surface 38. A positioning flange or side member 39 surrounds all of the disk 86, except the projecting portion 37, for preventing side slip of the hitch post 8 therefrom.

The portion 37 and the interruption in the side member 39, function as leading-in means for easily sliding the lower end of the hitch post 8 into position, without lifting it over the side member 89.

Openings 40, in the upper plate 10, co operate with portions 41 of the plate to form handles whereby the device may be transported from place to place.

The means 9 comprise spikes 43, secured to the plate 11 by U-bolts M, and adapted to assume the holding or anchoring positions shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 4 and to be moved to resting positions, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 4, on the upper surface of the plate 11 by moving the spikes pivotally about the U-bolts.

There are preferably but two of the spikes 43, one adjacent to the far right-hand corner of the plate 11, as viewed from the position of the operator at the right side of the figures, and one adjacent to the near lefthand corner of the plate 11. By this arrangement, turning of the device, as a whole in response to the winding force on the drum 2, is prevented.

In setting up the device for pulling a pit post, the device is positioned a safe distance from the post to be pulled along the line of direction of the chain 16, thus placing the seating means 7 and the hitch post 8 nearest to the pit post, the operating means farthest from the pit post, or beyond the hitch post from the pit post, and the drum 2 between the seating means and the operating means. The spikes 43 are then driven into the ground.

The hitch post 8 extends at an angle to the vertical between the mine roof (not shown) at its upper end and the seating means 7 at its lower end.

In operation, when turning forces are applied to the hand wheel 28, since the chain 16 extends under the hitch post 8 almost on a direct line between the drum 2 and the post to be pulled and the spikes 43 prevent angular movement of the device about a vertical axis, substantially the only movement of the device is a very slight movement away from the operator at the right end of the drive, as shown in Fig. 2, and toward the pit post in the direction of the chain 16. This slight movement, depending upon how tightly the parts are initially set up in position, the force required to release the pit post and possibly, to a certain extent, the nature of the mine roof and floor, tends to more tightly secure the hitch 30st in position by moving its lower end toward the pit post in the direction of the chain 16, thus slightly reducing the angle to the vertical at which the hitch post was originally set.

By reason of the rotative movement of the hand wheel 28, when the pit post has been released, the operator may increase the speed of operation to prevent burial of the pit post and adjacent parts of the pulling ap-- paratus beneath the fall. Devices not having this feature have been the cause of considerable loss.

In Figure 3, in which corresponding parts are designated by corresponding reference characters, the seating means? instead of comprising the parts 36, 37 and 39, above described, comprise a bolt or spike 45 extending through the upper plate 10 of the supporting structure 1 and held in position by a head or nut 46, at its lower end, and a nut 4'? adjacent to its upper end 48 which is sharpened to a point. The point oi the bolt e5 receives, and'embeds itself in, the lower end of the hitchpost 8 to operate substantially the same, and to provide a more economical structure, than the seat 7 of the other figures.

While we have shown and described particular forms of our invention, changes may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in the accompanying claims. r

We claim as our invention:

1. A mine post-pulling device comprising an operating element embodying a supportupper and lower members, a vertical drum rotatably supported by, and between, said members, an operating member ncluding a shaft rotably supported by said members. and projecting above the upper member,

gear-reduction means connected between the drum and the shaft, and means on said upper member for supporting a hitch post.

2. A mine post-pulling device comprising a hitch post, means for cooperation between the same and a pit post, including operating means and supporting means for the operating means,the hitch post beingsupported at an angle to the vertical between the mine roof} at its upper end and said supporting means at its lower end whereby it tends to be more securely wedged in position in accordance with the pulling force, and means for preventing, displacing movement of said supporting means from operative position.

3. A mine post-pulling device comprising a hitch post, means for cooperationbetween. the same and a pit post, including operating means disposed beyond the hitch post from the pit post and seating means on said supporting means for the hitch post, a winding drum disposed between said operating and. seating means and gear-reduction means: connecting the operating means and the drum.

et. A mine post-pulling device comprising a hitch post, means for cooperation between the same and a pit post, including operating means and supporting means for the operating means, the hitch post being supported between the mine roof at its upper end and said supporting means at its lower end, and means cooperating between said supportingmeans and the mine floor for, holding the device in position.

5.-A mine post-pulling device comprising a hitch post, means for cooperation between the same and a pit post, including operating means and supporting means for'the operating means, the hitch post being supported between the mine roof at its upper end and said supporting means at its lower end, and

means extendi under the hitch post for to tie mine floor in response to movement of said drum including a plurality of spike elements movable between operative position and a resting position on said support- 1ngmeans. e

8. A mine post-pulling device comprising a hitch post having a relatively broad substantially flat end, operating means for pulling a pit post, a support for said operating means and a seat on said support for cooperation with said end to support the hitch post at an angle to said support.

9. A mine post-pulling device comprising a hitch post having a yieldable end, operating means for pulling a pit post, a support for said operating means and means on said support for indenting said yieldable end to support the hitch post between the device and a portion of the mine.

10. In combination, in a mine post-pulling device, an elongated flexible element for cooperation adjacent to one end with means to turn and fell a pit post, means for pulling said element at a distance from the pit post to turn and fell the latter, a rotatable operating member for said pulling means, gearreduction means between the operating member and the pulling means, means for anchoring the device in operative position, and means for preventing reverse operation of the flexible element during its turning and telling operation on the pit post.

11. In combination, in a mine post pulling device, an elognated flexible element for co-operation adjacent to one end with means to turn and fell a pit post, means for pulling said element at a distance from the pit post to turn and fell the latter, a rotatable operating member for said pulling means, gear-reduction means between the operating member and the pulling 1neans,1means tending to be more securely held in position in accordance with the pulling force for anchoring the device in operative position, and

Ineans for preventing reverse operation of the flexible element duriin its turning and telling operation on the pit post upon re lease of the force applied to the operating member.

12. In combination, in a mine post-pulling device, an elongated flexible element for oo-operation adjacent to one end with means to turn and fell a pit post, means for pulling said element at a distance from the pit post to turn and fell the latter, a rotatable operating member for said pulling means, gear-reduction means between the operating member and the pulling means, a hitch post for wedging position between two elements for anchoring the device in operative position and tending to be more securely wedged in position in accordance with the pulling force, and means for preventing reverse operation of the flexible element during its turning and felling operation on the pit post upon release of the force applied to the operating member.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names this 1st day of N ovember, 1926.

ALBERT S. YENCHEL JOHN A. FORISH. 

